Michigan's Right to Farm Act (MCL 286.474) preempts local zoning that conflicts with Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices on protected farms.
MCL 286.474(6) provides that local units of government shall not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances, regulations, or resolutions that conflict in any manner with the Right to Farm Act or GAAMPs developed under it. This preemption affects zoning rules attempting to ban farm operations, restrict farm structures, or set tighter setbacks than GAAMPs allow. However, the 2014 Site Selection GAAMP exempted primarily residential areas from livestock siting protections, returning some local zoning authority over urban livestock. Courts continue to interpret the boundary between protected farms and zoning.
Inconsistent local zoning is unenforceable against compliant farms; non-compliant operations remain subject to local rules.
Kent County, MI
Kent County has no county-level beekeeping ordinance; keeping honey bees in Kent County is governed primarily by Michigan state law. The Michigan Apiary Law ...
Kent County, MI
Kent County, MI does not impose any breed-specific legislation (BSL). The Kent County Animal Control Ordinance (Ord. No. 06-23-22-82, effective July 1, 2022)...
Kent County, MI
In Kent County, MI, Section 11(b) of the Kent County Animal Control Ordinance (Ord. No. 06-23-22-82, effective July 1, 2022) requires owners and custodians t...
Kentwood, MI
Kentwood allows keeping of domestic animals, fowl or insects (including ducks, chickens, bees, goats and rabbits) only after Zoning Administrator review and ...
Kent County, MI
In Kent County, MI parks, Section 14 of the Kent County Parks & Recreation Regulations prohibits building, causing to be built, or setting any fire except wi...
Kent County, MI
Kent County does not have a general county-wide tree-trimming ordinance covering private property — that is set by individual township and city codes. Howeve...
See how Kentwood's agricultural zoning protection rules stack up against other locations.
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